How to Enroll in Two-Factor Authentication

Information on this page will help you enroll your mobile device, hardware token (Duo token), or landline phone in Penn State’s two-factor authentication system, a cloud-based service hosted by the company Duo Security.

Two-factor authentication is part of a two-level authentication process. The first level is verification of your Penn State user ID and password. The second level is a randomly generated passcode that only you have access to or a notification on your mobile device or landline phone.

We recommend that you enroll more than one device to prevent difficulty with authenticating if there is a problem with your only enrolled device. For instance, if you have both a smartphone and office phone enrolled, then you can still authenticate from your office if you accidentally leave your smartphone at home.

Using a Smartphone

Most people will appreciate the ease and convenience of using their existing smartphone—a mobile phone that enables you to download and install apps and receive and send text messages—to verify their identity through two-factor authentication.

Below are written instructions for enrolling your smartphone (a mobile phone that enables you to download and install apps) in two-factor authentication.

You can test your devices to make sure that the enrollment has been successful. Log out of WebAccess and then return to self-service portal (where you originally enrolled a device or multiple devices). After successfully entering your user ID and password, you will be prompted to authenticate with a registered device. If the authentication is successful, then your enrollment has been completed properly for that device. Repeat the test authentication for each enrolled device.